Over the past century, the sport of golf has become one of the most popular activities around the world. As a result of this popularity, golf club manufacturers have designed and marketed clubs for golfers having virtually every skill level. In fact, these golfers often own expensive clubs which may be custom designed to fit their individual needs. Due to golf's increasing popularity, numerous golf courses and resorts are being built around the world every year to meet the public demand for course time. Thus, it has become a common practice for people who golf to bring their golf clubs when vacationing or traveling for business. Ordinarily, golf clubs are kept in a golf bag when not in use. These golf bags are typically made of a soft material, such as leather or nylon. Unfortunately, transporting golf clubs in a typical soft bag can result in damage to the clubs. For example, if a golfer is traveling via airplane and is checking his or her clubs at the baggage counter, these clubs could be damaged by the baggage handlers or luggage may shift in flight thereby crushing the clubs.
In an effort to minimize the damage to golf clubs during travel, the rigid golf bag was invented. Such a device, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,563, which issued to Kirchhoff for an invention entitled "Golf Bag" (the "'563 patent"), consists of a rigid body, a separate interior tube for the shaft of each club, and a rigid lid. The device of the '563 patent includes a compartment for any golf accessory imaginable and as such, is quite useful. However, this bag is quite heavy and can only be comfortably carried for short periods of time. The device of the '563 patent is cumbersome when traveling, and if used on the golf course, a golf cart or a caddy is necessary to carry it.
A second rigid golf bag, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,789, which issued to Willcocks for an invention entitled "Dual-Function Golf Bag" (the "'789 patent"), is also large and bulky, and includes a rigid shell for holding the clubs and interior compartments for carrying accessories. The device of the '789 patent, however, does not include wheels for rolling the bag through an airport or on a golf course. Moreover, the device of the '789 patent does not include separate tubes for each golf club shaft to keep the club shafts from damaging each other within the rigid golf bag.
In addition to the rigid golf bag, the golf bag container was invented as a solution to the problem of safely transporting golf clubs. Such a device, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,497, which issued to Sherer et al. for an invention entitled "Golf Bag Container" (the "'497 patent"), consists of a large, rigid tube in which a soft golf bag can be inserted. The device of the '497 patent, however, does not have wheels and the user must not only carry the weight of the loaded golf bag, but also the weight of the rigid case. The device of the '497 patent also has limited functionality--it is only a sleeve for a golf bag and does serve any other purpose.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rigid golf bag which safely protects the golf clubs during transport. It is another object of the present invention to provide a rigid golf bag which may be used on the golf course as a traditional golf bag. It is another object of the present invention to provide a rigid golf bag which is lightweight and easy to carry. It is another object of the present invention to provide a rigid golf bag which may be easily rolled if necessary. It is another object of the present invention to provide a rigid golf bag which is sleek, stylish, easy to use, and inexpensive to manufacture.